JEFF EDELSTEIN: The Trenton tomato pie travels well

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

DeLorenzo’s. Papa’s. Salvatore’s.

Salvatore’s?Salvatore’s.Never heard of it? Fear not, you haven’t walked into some science-fiction alternate reality version of Greater Trenton, where there’s a place called “Salvatore’s” that’s mentioned in the same breath as the Papa’s and DeLorenzo’s of this world.

But Salvatore’s does exist, it’s chef/owner is indeed from Trenton and he’s absolutely making Trenton tomato pies. Chief difference? His joint located in Sun Prairie, Wis. You know. Sun Prairie, the self-proclaimed — not making this up — “groundhog capital of the world.”

Folks, meet Patrick DePula, and he’s — almost certainly — making the best tomato pies west of Lake Michigan.

“My grandfather was born on Elmer Street, so was mom,” DePula said. “My dad was born in North Trenton, and his dad, Antonino owned the Trenton Unity Market, one of Trenton’s first grocery stores.

Already, DePula’s history is as thick as some freshly chopped tomatoes. Trenton-born, Mercerville-raised, a regular kid from the neighborhood. Until 1993, when his stepdad, who worked at the General Motors plant in Ewing, got transferred out to Wisconsin. DePula followed a few years later, made a life for himself working in human resources, consulting, got married, kids, the whole thing. But DePula had a food itch. Kind of ran in the family, from the Unity market to his uncles owning restaurants to memories of his grandfather, Pasquale, taking him and his twin brother into Chambersburg on Sundays, where they’d buy prosciutto and fresh bread and make sandwiches and …

“I finally decided to do it,” he said. “We opened in October 2011, making Trenton-style tomato pies. We also cure our own meats, utilize the freshest ingredients.”

All well-intentioned. But … tomato pie? In Wisconsin? Seems insane.

“At first, shortly after we opened, people would come in, order pizza, we’d bring it out, and they’d say it doesn’t look right,” DePula said. “They’d say, ‘it’s not a perfect circle’ or ‘there’s some char on it’ and, mostly, ‘where’s the rest of the cheese?’ I’d have to explain, I’d tell them, ‘this is way we do it.’ I started telling people to try it, and if they didn’t like it, I’d give them a gift certificate to Pizza Hut.”

He hasn’t issued one gift certificate to date.

“We participated in a contest four months after we opened called the ‘Slice of Sun Prairie,’” DePula said. “A competition, panel of judges. I was hesitant because what we do is so different. Midwestern pizza is … different. Well, we entered in a bunch of different categories, and we won every category, including best pizza.”

The restaurant — named after both DePula’s 5-year-old son and his great-grandfather — is doing great, the reviews are spectacular, everyone is happy. But what to the locals think? And I mean our locals, not Wisconsin locals.

“Yes, people have come out here, people from Trenton, the area,” DePula said. “Even got a Trenton high sweatshirt a few weeks ago. Plus, we’re a suburb of Madison, so there’s a bit of an expatriate community around here, and they missed the food. They feel like they’re at home when they’re here.”

Of course, not all good deeds — and introducing tomato pie to midwesterners seems as good a deed as there is — goes unpunished. In fact, DePula said a competing pizza restaurant was so taken with this new-fangled pizza creation, they decided to try and copy it.

“It doesn’t work,” DePula said. “They tried to recreate it on a conveyer oven. It’s not going to work. But it’s not all bad, as I can now call myself ‘Wisconsin’s ORIGINAL tomato pie.’”

Kidding aside, DePula hasn’t entered this lightly. After all, it’s now his livelihood and will always be his heritage.

“I got my inspiration from Delorenzo’s, Papa’s, Joe’s Tomato Pies, Maruca’s, and special place in my heart exists for Brother’s on Route 33 from my Steinert Days,” he said. “It’s all very much part of me and who I am and I feel like I’m honoring my family and the people of the Trenton area every day I come into work.”